


Journey of a Ninja

by ArxMaverick



Category: Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26148823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArxMaverick/pseuds/ArxMaverick
Summary: After Orochimaru's attack, which caused the Third Hokage's death, Konoha was indeed left in shambles. But some of its villagers were in no better shape themselves. One of them is Adashi; once a proud Chunnin of the Leaf, his way of the ninja hadn't escaped unscathed from those unfortunate events. Follow this young man as he embarks upon a path to discovering what being a ninja really means to him.





	Journey of a Ninja

As he glanced upon the name of his friend etched in the cold marble, Adashi could not help but feel tortured by the question that's been haunting his mind since that day. 'Why am I a ninja?'  
A sigh escaped his lips as he turned around to exit the memorial. The answer to his crisis would not be found here, if at all. No matter how much thought went into it, Adashi still was unable to define the reason of his existence as a shinobi. Younger, the dark haired man believed that his role was that of a shield protecting his comrades, his village. But, ever since that day, his beliefs had all but disappeared. Why had he escaped death when he most certainly deserved it? What was his role as a shinobi now that it had become evident he wasn't the person he thought he was? However, two things were clear to him, those questions would never give him peace of mind and the answers he needed wouldn't be found in the Leaf village.

Knowing this, Adashi took resolute steps towards the Hokage tower. He needed to find his ninja way as he no longer recognized the person who stared at him in the mirror. And the only way was through a journey where he would have no choice but to confront himself to the world. Far too long had he stayed in his comfortable bubble, in a prosperous village surrounded by good people. The world out there was vastly different than what he believed it to be. Beings of evil, such as Orochimaru, actually existed in the same world as Adashi and nothing could have prepared him for that realization. Until he could properly face that fact, he would only remain a coward, a frightened ninja who couldn't even throw a kunai to save his life. Just like he had been on that fateful day. 

However, despite the horror and loss, the village was slowly but surely recovering from Orochimaru's attack. Sure enough, not everything had been rebuilt yet but things were looking good. Buildings were taking the shape of their former glories, accompanied by some welcome novelty. Plus the morale had been steadily on the rise ever since the announcement of Tsunade-sama as the Fifth. After all, she was one of the legendary Sannin, granddaughter of the First Hokage and former student of the Third. In light of the current circumstances, this was the best choice they could've made. Because it was her, Adashi hoped she would understand the reason behind his request. But, once he found himself at her door, he still found himself briefly hesitating to knock. With everything going on, maybe his request would be dismissed as stupid or selfish. Yet how would Adashi ever be able to protect those close to him if he cowered away when it was time to put his life on the line?

Suddenly, his train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the door being opened. With his right fist still up in the air, he came face to face with Kakashi. Another fine example of what he aspired to become, a man who bettered himself even after losing everything. Maybe such a meeting, at a time when doubts were starting to fill his mind, was fate nudging him forward. A soft smile graced his lips as the white haired Jonin greeted him. "Kakashi-senpai," he simply nodded in return. 

As soon as his superior was gone from sight, Adashi took a deep breath. Tsunade-sama was alone in the office, surrounded by paperwork as usual. A nearly empty bottle of sake could be seen nearby, also what was to be expected from the famous Slug Princess of the Leaf. Shizune, however, was missing from the picture, surely on a mission of her own. For a moment, the Chunnin starting juggling the words in his head. Even though this conversation was one he was adamant on having, starting it proved to be no easy matter. But, unknown to him, the Fifth had been a step ahead the whole time.   
"So I'm gonna guess this is about the Sound Village assignment?"

The directness of her words surprised him a little and took away his ability to speak for a few seconds. Which prompted her to keep on talking. "One of my first acts was to read a detailed report of Orochimaru's attack. I know why you're here." At those words, Adachi clenched his fists as the memories flooded back into his mind. Those memories that constantly reminded him of his cowardice and the consequences that it had brought. "Why should I even consider sending you in on such an important assignment?"

Despite his principal motive being selfish, Adashi knew there were some arguments for his selection. "All of the higher tier ninjas are either away or on guarding duty. Besides most of them are relatively well known and wouldn't be fit for undercover work. However, someone like me could go incognito and blend in the crowd." Well they were not necessarily the most flattering ones but still remained somewhat valid. The Leaf's Jonins were somewhat known thanks to their strength, someone like Orochimaru would definitely be on the lookout for them. But, on the other hand, there weren't any rumors of the legendary feats of the Leaf's Adashi and he had only been a Chunnin for a couple years. Turns out that being a bland ninja also had its perks somewhat. But that was not the subject currently at hand. "Please Hokage-sama, I need this." He pleaded as he bowed before the head of the Leaf's village.

Tsunade sighed at the situation before her. Recent events had piled up and now she had a whole mess to sort out. With Orochimaru attacking the village and then sending his Sound subordinates after the Uchiha kid, a need to closely monitor his activities became apparent. However, with so many hideouts scattered all over the place, one could never be sure of his actual location. The fact that the Leaf couldn't afford to disperse a large force made the situation a whole thorn in her side. With the crisis the village was facing, they could only spare a handful of personnel for this undercover mission. The ninja in front of her was a fine one, maybe lacking a bit in confidence but fine nonetheless. Feeling emboldened, she decided on another gamble of hers. This village had many interesting prospects, just like that one blonde kid had proved to her.

"I've studied your case and, Itsuki Adashi, you are officially selected to be a part of our Sound infiltration squad. Standby for further instructions."


End file.
